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USL San Diego Loyal

Ronaldo Damus Voted USL Championship Player of the Week

June 6, 2023 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
San Diego Loyal News Release


SAN DIEGO - San Diego Loyal SC forward Ronaldo Damus was voted The USL Championship Player of the Week for his performance in the club's 3-3 draw against San Antonio FC Saturday at Toyota Field. The Haitian national earned the honors after coming on as a halftime substitute and scoring a pair of goals to help his team mount a dramatic comeback and earn an important road point after trailing 3-0 early in the match. Damus scored the first goal for SD Loyal and the crucial equalizer deep into stoppage time of a thrilling Western Conference matchup against the defending league champions.

Recording only 13 touches and two shots on target, Damus made his presence felt Saturday providing the breakthrough goal for SD Loyal in the 75th minute on a precise long-range shot from the top of the arc of the penalty area. The striker then capped the comeback in the fifth minute of second-half stoppage time, flicking a header off a Morgan Hackworth cross to seal a point on the road.

The USL Championship's Player of the Week is selected by the USL National Media Panel, which is made up of representatives from each media market in the Championship. Damus earned 67 percent of the ballot to claim the award.

Signing with SD Loyal in March from Swedish side GIF Sundsvall, Damus was added to the roster for his explosive style of play and dangerous attacking speed. The striker has logged 794 minutes in 12 appearances for SD Loyal in 2023, starting in eight of those matches. Damus has the club's second highest scoring mark with four goals, and has also recorded two assists.

Before joining SD Loyal, the speedy and versatile forward was a key piece in helping Orange County SC win the 2021 USL Championship Final. Damus signed with Orange County ahead of the 2021 season and played in 31 matches, scoring a team-high 14 goals in the regular season and 18 across all competitions.

Damus is the third player in SD Loyal history to be named USL Championship Player of The Week. Rubio Rubin (Week 13 in 2020), Alejandro Guido (Week 8 in 2021) and Corey Hertzog (Week 20 in 2021) previously received the honor.

Damus is also the fourth SD Loyal player to be named to The USL Championship's Team of the Week in 2023.Joe Corona was named in April, while Koke Vegas and Jackson Simba were each named in March. Corona earned the honors for his performance in the club's 1-0 win against Tampa Bay Rowdies on April 23. Vegas was named to the best XI for his shutout outing against Phoenix Rising FC on March 19. Simba attained opening week honors after scoring the game-winner against Detroit City FC in SD Loyal's season opening 1-0 win.

SD Loyal now heads into its next match against Sacramento Republic FC on Friday night (7 p.m.) from Torero Stadium. The club will also be home for its following match on Wednesday, June 14 against San Antonio (7 p.m.). Tickets start at just $15 and are available now at sdloyal.com/tickets.

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